out of the ordinary

Idioms  

1. Unusual, uncommon, exceptional, as in The venison they served was certainly out of the ordinary. This expression sometimes, but not always, indicates that something is better than the usual. However, the negative version, nothing out of the ordinary, usually indicates that something is not special or outstanding, as in It was an interesting lecture, but nothing out of the ordinary.

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Example Sentences

Solomon says the meeting wasn’t anything out of the ordinary: “That group has gone over to the Treasury to talk about cybersecurity risks over a number of years,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

A 10% drop isn’t anything out of the ordinary for AppLovin, which has been one of the most volatile large-cap stocks on the market in recent months.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

It would be out of the ordinary if the heat lingered for more than a few days, she said, but the forecast is showing considerable cooling by Friday.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

In those European Cup finals, without John producing something out of the ordinary, we don’t win them.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025

It's a lovely winter day in Amsterdam, and though there are other people on the street, couples like me and Willem, nobody acts like the forced parade of people is out of the ordinary.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse